I missed out on all the warm fall weather to put up outdoor holiday lights this year. If you haven’t untangled your string yet either, here are some reasons to consider the switch over to LED Christmas lights.

What research has found is that we tend to fire up the holiday spirit to the tune of 400 watts at dusk - but, also add on an addition 200 daytime watts. This means we tend to leave our lights on more than we care to admit. This averages out to about $15 a day for an “average” home. Of course, if you’re the Grindwald’s (Chevy Chase’s movie family in Christmas Vacation) you’re paying more.

But even if your display is modest, you’re probably forking out some cash to make it the Season of Lights so you might as well be smart about it.

Here are a few reasons to consider buying the newer energy-efficient bulbs: LED lights use a fraction of what a similarly sized incandescent light would use.The Fun Times Guide to Going Green claims it takes  5 watts per bulb in the average incandescent mini-light while an entire string of LED mini-lights uses around 4 watts. Wow.

In addition to drawing less electricity, the LEDs hold up longer. How many times have you had a cheap string of lights fail the same year you’ve bought them? The LED bulbs are more substantial and also cool to the touch - always a nice bonus.

Okay, the not great news about LEDs: The color is not the same as the incandescent lights that you probably grew up with that signals grandma’s cookies, Asti Spumante and Santa rolling by in a Norelco Shaver - in short, all things Christmas.

The closest color to that would be the LEDs marketed as “warm” or “soft” and guess what - they cost more.

And on that note, all LEDs cost more. A strand of 50-60 white LED mini-lights will cost you around $10 which could get you nearly 500 incadescent mini-lights. So you’re unlikely to break even on energy savings the first year, but you do have durability going for ya.

Now if they only they self-strung, then we’d really be talking…

Send me photos of your light display (LED or traditional) and I’ll be sure to post ‘em.

Americans celebrate Labor Day by avoiding any scant whiff of work. Yah! Good for us.

And one of the best ways to avoid work is being a garden variety couch potato. From a real estate point of view there is plenty of good watching. Even with the downturn in the market, shows about decorating, remodeling, flipping and staging have remained extremely popular.

Here is an article about just that from Time magazine on the web. It’s about a new and kinda desperate sounding show on TLC called Date My House. On the new show, anxious sellers stage overnight “dates,” in which potential buyers spend the night at the house, the better to “seduce” them into making a “long-term commitment.” It runs on Saturday Nights 8:30/7:30 central time.

Here is a list of other television shows for the Real Estate enthusiast. I can’t take credit for the list myself as it was put together by Elizabeth McMeans at Move Trends. I post it here with gratitude.

Flip This House on A & E: Join various flip teams battle the construction zone in San Antonio, Los Angeles, New Haven and Atlanta repairing and revamping homes for a profit. Upcoming airing: Saturday September 6th, 9am/8c

Sell This House on A & E:Ever wonder what goes through a buyers mind during walk throughs? Sell This House answers this and more under the guidance of hosts Tanya Memme and Roger Hazard.Upcoming airing: Saturday September 6th, 10:30am/9:30c

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC:The Emmy-award winning home makeover show crosses the country yet again with host Ty Pennington. This year will feature a more eco-friendly approach to its remodeling techniques, along with other surprises.This fall: Sundays at 8pm/7c

Million Dollar Listing on Bravo: Josh, Madison and Chad give you the inside scoop on the million dollar real estate business in Los Angeles. Peek in on some of Southern California’s most gorgeous homes and revel in this real estate team’s love for drama. Every Tuesday at 10pm/9c.

Flipping Out on Bravo: Join Jeff Lewis a prominent house flipper with a unique personality and impeccable taste.Catch the reunion show this coming Sunday, August 31st at 12:30pm.

Flip That House on TLC: Yet another house flipping show that allows viewers to see the ins, outs and results of various projects. See homes being transformed and the renovations that deliver the biggest returns. Airs Saturdays at 9pm/8c

Hope For Your Home on TLC: A new series based on the mortgage crisis. Host Kirsten Kemp Becker helps owners in distress add value to their homes on the way toward refinancing or selling their homes. Airs Saturdays at 8:30pm/7:30c.

See you Tuesday!